Two sisters have one summer to crush their comfort zones and save their grandmother’s legacy in this sweet, sexy, and heartfelt novel by Ali Brady, author of The Beach Trap .
Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Ali Brady’s The Comeback Summer, which is out May 9th!
Hannah and Libby need a miracle. The PR agency they inherited from their grandmother is losing clients left and right, and the sisters are devastated at the thought of closing. The situation seems hopeless—until in walks Lou, an eccentric self-help guru who is looking for a new PR agency. Her business could solve all their problems—but there’s a catch. Whoever works with Lou must complete a twelve-week challenge as part of her “Crush Your Comfort Zone” program.
Hannah, whose worst nightmare is making small talk with strangers, is challenged to go on twelve first dates. Libby, who once claimed to have period cramps for four weeks straight to get out of gym class, is challenged to compete in an obstacle course race. The challenges begin with Hannah helping Libby train and Libby managing the dating app on her sister’s behalf. They’re both making good progress—until Hannah’s first love rolls into town, and Libby accidentally falls for a guy she’s supposed to be setting up with her sister.
Things get even more complicated when secrets come to light, making the sisters question the one relationship they’ve always counted each other. With their company’s future on the line, they can’t afford to fail. But in trying to make a comeback to honor their grandmother, are they pushing themselves down the wrong path?
FIVE
Libby
Hannah and I spent the weekend filling out our questionnaires so Lou and her team could analyze them before our meeting today, when she’ll officially assign our challenges.
It took hours.
There were hundreds of questions, from practical things like how many hours of sleep I get a night (seven on average, but preferably nine), if I remember my dreams (not usually), or if I’m superstitious (very).
It was like doing an inventory of my life—how I liked to play as a child (Barbie and Ken, falling in love), how my parents rewarded me back then (cartoons and candy), and how I reward myself today (buying a new book or a pastry).
I answered questions about my religious beliefs (culturally Jewish, but more spiritual than religious), how physically active I am on a scale of 0 to 10 (4 for me, probably an 11 for Hannah) and whether I get energy from being around people or being alone (definitely from people).
The second I hit submit, my stomach was in knots at the thought of strangers studying my answers. Analyzing my flaws.
It got even worse after Hannah had the not-so-brilliant idea for me to listen to Lou’s podcast—her show is not the gimmicky armchair psychology I thought it would be.
Lou—which I’m starting to suspect is short for Lucifer—digs into her guests’ lives, asking questions that gave me secondhand discomfort, just listening.
In a live Q and A with listeners, she made six out of seven people cry. And the only reason the seventh didn’t cry was because he started yelling at Lou, which is arguably worse.
I should have taken a page from Br’er Rabbit and pretended to love all the things that make me uncomfortable, like conflict, cleaning, exercise, and horizontal stripes. I should have lied.
But it’s too late now. Hannah and I are in the conference room, sitting opposite Lou, who looks sharp in a pink blazer and matching lipstick.
“Ladies,” Lou says, “I’ve run y’all’s answers through my system, and I’m so excited to share the results.”
Her eyes twinkle and my stomach tightens. I wonder what happened to Lou in her childhood that made her get such joy out of making people uncomfortable.
“Hannah, should we start with you?” Lou asks.
Hannah sucks in a quick breath, and I feel guilty enjoying this brief stay of execution, but not guilty enough to volunteer to go first.
“Based on your results,” Lou tells my sister, “you have great physical strength and endurance. You push yourself physically and aren’t afraid to go the extra mile.”
Her words are true: my sister never breaks a sweat when we walk back from the grocery store, even when she’s carrying both our cases of LaCroix—Pamplemousse for me, Cerise Limón for her.
“You enjoy a good physical challenge, and you excel at mental challenges as well,” Lou says. “Your mind has an uncanny ability to analyze data and break it down, seeing patterns and making connections. It’s probably why you’ve got a penchant for true crime—if I had to guess, you solve the mystery before most people.”
Again, it’s accurate. When we read Verity for a book club, Hannah figured out the twist a good forty pages early.
“You tend to see the world in black and white,” Lou says, glancing down at her folder. “And shades of gray make you feel out of sorts. You have introverted tendencies—”
I stifle a laugh at the obviousness of this statement, and Hannah shoots me a dirty look.
“You keep your emotions close to your chest,” Lou continues. “It takes a lot for new people to get past the walls you put up. It’s for your protection, but it also keeps people out.”
I look at my sister, who is sitting up straight, her fingers nervously twitching in her lap.
“Since you excel in areas of mental and physical strength, there’s room for improvement with the other two categories: social and emotional. It feels safer to avoid connecting with other people, but it’s holding you back. Does that sound about right?”
Hannah nods ever so slightly, and Lou offers a sympathetic smile as she says, “To crush that comfort zone, your challenge will focus on interpersonal strength. You’re single, correct?”
“She is,” I say, answering for Hannah when she doesn’t do it fast enough.
“Perfect.” Lou rubs her hands together like she can’t wait for what’s next. “In this challenge, you will go on twelve first dates over the next twelve weeks.”
My face lights up as Hannah’s falls. There’s nothing I love more than love, and I’ve been telling Hannah for years that she needs to dive back into the dating pool—although for Hannah, it might feel more like a belly flop.
“You want me to date twelve men?” Hannah asks, dumbfounded.
“Not all at the same time,” Lou says, giving a musical laugh. “I’d suggest one date a week.”
“But . . .” Hannah says, and I can see her mind spinning as she tries to find the words to get herself out of this pickle. I resist my big-sister urge to save her, because I agree; this could be just what she needs.
“But feminism,” Hannah finally says. “A woman doesn’t need a man to complete her life.”
“I’m all for independent women,” Lou says. “But this isn’t about the other person, the man—or woman, if that’s what floats your boat. It’s about opening yourself to new people and possibilities. Knock those walls down, darlin’.”
Hannah looks at me, her eyes pleading for me to say something. So I do.
“She’s in.”
Beneath the table, Hannah tweaks the rolls on my side. I slap her hand away, keeping a smile on my face as Lou tells Hannah the details of her challenge, which isn’t so bad.
I know my sister would love to be in a relationship again. But like Lou said, she’s built a barricade around herself. Hannah has kept her heart under lock and key ever since that Jackass Who Shall Not Be Named abandoned her five years ago.
She’s gone on a handful of dates since then, and there was one guy from her running club who stuck around for a few months, but none of those other men could offer her what she had with her ex: history.
I’ve tried to tell her a connection like that takes time, but deep down, I know she’s afraid to get hurt again.
This could be the push she needs. Her chance to fall in love with someone tall and handsome and kind who treats her the way she deserves.
